


Yee-(Maybe We Could Try This Again)-Haw!

by thegirlwiththeprettybrowneyes



Series: AFTG Bingo 2018 [3]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Andrew is a bandit-turned-good-guy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cowboys, M/M, Neil owns a saloon, Wild West AU, Wymack is sheriff, alternate universe - wild west, bandits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-18 18:47:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16522622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegirlwiththeprettybrowneyes/pseuds/thegirlwiththeprettybrowneyes
Summary: “You told him we were old flames, you and I.”“Well you can hardly call that a lie.” Neil replied. “We’ve been burning each other down since the day we met.”/////////////////AFTG Bingo 2018 - AndreilOld Flames





	Yee-(Maybe We Could Try This Again)-Haw!

**Author's Note:**

> Sarsaparilla is really hard to spell.

“What's with you and Minyard?” Wymack asked.

Neil polished his glass a little further. “Whatever do you mean, sheriff?”

“Listen, Josten, I'm the sheriff of this here town, but I'm not going to last forever. I want to make Minyard my deputy.”

Neil almost dropped the glass. He caught it and placed it upside down on the counter. “Really?” he coughed and visibly composed himself, picking up the glass again. Wymack raised an eyebrow. “Thats…” Neil trailed off and smiled sadly at the ground. “That's great, sheriff.”

“See what I mean? You and him? You're all at odds. I cant have him refusing to help anyone. He has that luxury now, but when he's sheriff-” 

“I understand.” Neil nodded and smiled passively. “It's against the sheriff code or whatever.”

“There's no sheriff's-”

“Well… hypothetically, let's say Andrew had and old flame, a partner. With red hair, blue eyes, and a, by all measure, charming personality. Before he came here.  Let's say he and this hypothetical flame of his split because of… extenuating circumstances. A very noble reason on Andrew’s part. And also the partner thought that Andrew was dead. And hypothetically, the two men, by chance, have found themselves settling in the same town. And let's just hypothetically say that it's very awkward and tense between them now and they'd very much prefer never to see or speak to each other ever again.”

Wymack frowned. “This would be back when Andrew was the Smiling Bandit, would it?”

“Supposedly.”

“Which would make his partner, this old flame of his, Nathaniel the Knife? Because I would be obligated by law to arrest him, if he happened to be standing in front of me right now, polishing a glass.”

“I reckon it's a good thing this is all hypothetical then, huh sheriff?”

“I'd agree.” Wymack said, measuredly. He got off the bar stool and walked towards the door.

“Good luck.” Neil said as Wymack walked out.

* * *

 

_ Nathaniel fumbled with the tumblers of the lock. “Come on, come on!” he muttered to himself. _

_ He was too focused on his task to see the short blond man creeping up behind him, one flintlock pistol in each of his hands, and a black bandana with an embroidered smile of razor-sharp teeth.  _

_ Nathaniel was silenced by the barrel of a gun placed against the back of his head. _

_ “Better luck next time,” said a rough, gravelly, muffled voice. The Smiling Bandit. _

_ “Fuck you.” Nathaniel said. He didn't move to see who was about to kill him. _

_ “You're an unlucky fella, aren't you.” The Smiling Bandit didn't ask the question so much as state it and expect it to come across as interrogatory. _

_ Nathaniel frowned. “I didn't know you were coming here. How did you get the code to the safe?” _

_ A beat. “I didn't.” _

_ “What?” _

_ “I honestly didn't expect to get this far, but someone had incapacitated the guards.” The pistol pressed into Nathaniel's head further. “Stab wounds. Would I be correct in assuming I'm in the presence of Nathaniel the Knife?” _

_ “Only if I'm correct in assuming I'm in the presence of the Smiling Bandit.” _

_ The pistol dug itself through the Knife’s hair. “Being a good guesser isn’t going to save you.” _

_ “Well, I can pick locks.” Nathaniel replied. _

_ “That might save you.” the pistol turned away from Nathaniel’s head. “Want to make a deal, knife?” _

_ “Please,” Nathaniel replied “Call me Neil.” _

* * *

 

“Do you lie for fun or are you just biologically incapable of telling the truth, I’m curious.” Andrew Minyard, soon to be sheriff deputy, asked as he stormed into Neil’s saloon.

Neil picked up a glass and poured in a whiskey. This was Andrew’s first time in the saloon, but Neil remembered his drink preferences. “I don’t remember telling anyone any lies today. Then again, it isn’t even noon yet.”

“You told Wymack you didn’t follow me here.” Andrew sitting on a barstool.

Neil frowned “Well, that would be because I didn’t.”

“Cut the crap, Knife,” Andrew continued despite Neil’s flinch. “Why else would you be here? God knows that you’ve been dying to head east since you could point out the direction”

Neil looked at Andrew, face smiling but eyes sad. “I couldn’t go. Not without you.”

Andrew scowled “Fuck. Off. I'm not buying it.”

“Well I don't see why not.” Neil said, placing the whiskey in front of Andrew

Andrew scowled at the glass. 

“You told him we were old flames, you and I.”

“Well you can hardly call that a lie.” Neil replied. “We’ve been burning each other down since the day we met.”

The silence in the saloon changed from pointed to still. Then it became tinged with regret.

“He’s not going to make me sheriff deputy.” Andrew muttered. Finally accepting the glass of whiskey.

“What?”

“Wymack. I think he's going to give the job to Kevin. I don't know why he'd give it to me. I'm an outsider,” Andrew said.

Neil smiled at him. Years had passed, but it was the same old Andrew.“You've been living here for years, I reckon you're inside enough.”

“I'm a criminal.” Andrew pointed out.

“You're in law enforcement.” Neil countered.

Andrew  crossed his arms. “I don't know why I'm here talking to you.”

“Hey, I'll shut up, just finish your drink. Whiskey isn’t cheap” Neil turned and picked up a page from the newspaper to read as Andrew finished his drink.  

“What do I owe you?” Andrew asked.

Neil smiled sadly. “You don't owe me anything. You'll never owe me anything.”

Andrew slapped some money on the counter anyways and walked out.

* * *

 

_ “What'd you get?” Neil asked Andrew as he walked out of the general store and into the covered wagon. _

_ “Whiskey and a sarsaparilla. Which one do you want?” Andrew grunted as he climbed inside.  _

_ “Give me the sarsaparilla, I know you’ve been wanting a hard drink all day.” Neil answered, smiling. _

_ Andrew tossed the bottle at him. “You’re not cute.” _

_ “Wasn’t trying to be. Here, I’ll scoot over.” Neil gestured for Andrew to join him at the front of the wagon. _

_ “Good on you.” Andrew obliged and got the horses going. They sat in silence for a few miles. Andrew looked at Neil as the sun began to set. “I’ve been thinking-,” _

_ “You’re always thinking.” Neil interrupted _

_ Andrew sighed and nodded. “Yes but today specifically, I’ve been thinking about you and me.”  _

_ Neil nodded “You want to change how we split the money again? Because really, we’re practically a joint unit now, there’s no point in splitting it if we’re both just going to use the whole haul-” _

_ “No, I-,” Andrew stopped him and smiled nervously, looking out at the horizon “That’s not it.” _

_ “Oh.” Neil crossed his arms and smiled, somewhat smugly. “You’re talking about...how you keep batting your eyelashes at me, and I keep batting mine back at you, but we never seem to get past exercising our eyelids.” _

_ “Yes. That.” _

_ Neil laughed. A light, sparkling sound. “Well the remedy to that seems simple, doesn’t it?” _

_ “Oh?” _

_ “One of us should just…” Neil turned to Andrew and stopped. Andrew was looking at him intently now. Neil gulped.“... make a move.”  _

_ Neither of them knew who leaned forward first, but then they were kissing.  _

_ And as the wagon rolled along the dunes, they were happy. _

* * *

 

_ “How much did we get?” Neil asked, running past the angry guards. He had always been fast. _

_ “Enough.” Andrew panted, less easily. _

_ “For passage west? Or for tonight?” Neil questioned. Andrew replied by tossing him the bag of loot.“Oh.  _ **_Oh_ ** _.” it was twice the amount they needed. “God, I could kiss you” _

_ Andrew smiled under his smiling bandana “Plenty of time for that later, move.” _

_ “Get back here, you rascals!” called the angry sheriff as Neil and Andrew ran past him. _

_ “You know how to get to the meeting point?” Andrew asked. _

_ Neil grinned. “Sure do, why?”  _

_ “Take a horse and get there, I'll deal with these idiots, wait for me.” Andrew winked at him and turned. He pulled out his flintlocks and whooped. _

_ Neil grinned and ran to the horse with the loot. He mounted the horse and cried out in triumph. _

_ “Yee-Haw!” _

* * *

 

_ Neil got to the meeting point late that night. He was tired as all hell, but he waited.  _

_ And waited. _

_ And waited. _

_ And waited. _

_ And waited. _

_ Andrew wasn’t there when he woke up. So he waited.  _

_ And waited. _

_ And waited. _

* * *

 

“Figured you’d be up here.” Neil said as he walked onto the roof of the sheriff’s department.

Andrew didn’t have to turn to see who it was. “Well you always did know me best.”

“Yes. I did. Does your family know you?” Neil asked, his tone was conversational.

“No. They don’t. But they try.” Andrew admitted, the hint of a smile on his face.

“It’s not so bad then.”

“Guess not.”

Neil sat down, looking slightly awkward but seeming not to care. “Why did you leave all those years ago?”

Andrew looked back at Neil, he didn't sit. “Well, after you left, I found word of my family. I wanted to find them.”

“I thought I was your family.” Neil said. Not hurt, really, just curious.

“That was different, you’ve got to know that was different.” Andrew's voice betrayed nothing but his eyes were desperate.

“I know, I know.” Neil said reassuringly. He tilted his head and saw the sun was beginning to set. “I guess what I meant was, why did you go without me?”

“Wasn’t your job.” Andrew said, looking at the sky with him.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t have come with you?” there was a bitter laugh in Neil's voice. Andrew didn't reply. “Oh my god. You didn’t. Did you really think so little of yourself? I would have followed you to the ends of the earth if you’d asked.” Neil was smiling now, but it was a kind of regretful smile.

“And now?”

“Depends.”

There was a silence in which one would take a drag of a pipe, or a sip of a drink. Though neither were on the roof, so they watched the sun some more. 

“I was wrong. Wymack gave me the deputy badge before I clocked out today.”

Neil grinned proudly at Andrew “Can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Did you find a new partner? After I left?” Andrew asked.

“No. Couldn’t bring myself to try. Got a job. Learned to mix drinks. Manage money. Before I knew it had been three years and I was still hoping you’d come back. So I packed up and headed west. Little did I know, the town I bought a saloon in was the town you ended up in too.”

Another of those silences.

“I’ve been thinking-” Andrew began

“You’re always thinking.”

Andrew was not to be deterred “I've been thinking maybe we could try again, you and I.” he looked at Neil, eyes hopeful. “What do you think.”

Neil smiled. “I think that sounds like a mighty fine plan.”

The sun set and then it was just them. 

Andrew, Neil, and the roof.


End file.
